emily & derek

Graceful, classy, fun, creative, unique. Those are words that would describe Emily, and those words also happen to describe hers and Derek's wedding day as well. Their wedding was very untraditional. Emily wore a gorgeous black dress, with bright red heels, and they opted for a small wedding day with just their immediate families there to celebrate the special day with them. Emily and Derek's baby girl, Olivia was due in just weeks, and they were in the process of moving, so while someone else in Emily's position may have freaked out, Emily took everything gracefully in stride, all while being very classy. And because their little girl was due any day, and they hadn't gotten engagement photos done, we turned the wedding photo shoot into a wedding/engagement/maternity shoot, and had a blast walking around Old Town Alexandria all day. I loved their fun romantic and intimate wedding, and it was such a blessing to be a part of. Here are a few of my favorites:

alex & ben

Alex and Ben met many moons ago. He liked her, she didn't really like him. He asked her to the school dance, and she reluctantly said yet. Fast forward through high school and college, and Alex and Ben are still madly in love, and she is not reluctant about Ben any longer. They got married on just about the most perfect fall day ever in southern Virginia at a little bed and breakfast called The Henry Clay Inn. If you have not been to southern Virginia at the peak of Autumn, when the leaves are almost neon in color, you need to experience this before you die. Its just about impossible to take a bad photograph outside. The Gwathmey wedding was just so fun, and personal, and sweet, and you could tell that everyone there was so excited to be there for Alex and Ben. Here's some of the impossible-to-take-a-bad-photograph-outside photos from their wedding day:

mari & kyle

Lets go back to two years ago. I'm freaking out because I decided to put on a legit fashion show and art gallery auction for a nonprofit with one other persons help, and absolutely no clue, experience, or knowledge whatsoever. Yes sir. And because I had no idea what I was doing, I didn't realize that we needed additional lighting, and sound and video equipment and someone to run those things for us, nor did I think to find jewelry for the models at the fashion show to wear. Insert Kyle and Mari. Kyle offered his amazing technological skills, as well as donated photographs for the art show, and Mari offered these totally beautifully amazing African inspired necklaces for our models. With out making me feel like a total moron for not even knowing that I needed their help. In fact they were kind about it and so happy to help. I think thats a good story to introduce you to Kyle and Mari. Low key, so so in love with each other, super kind, helpful, understanding, and clearly loved by their friends and family that came out to take part in their wedding with them. (It didn't hurt that it took place on a beautiful beach in the Outer Banks!) So, here they are; a few of my favorites:

ashley & ben

Ashley and Ben may just be the most comfortable natural easy going couple I have met. They were just great about doing whatever I asked them to do for photos. Walk through really buggy grass, check! Get in a dirty old boat on a lake, Check! I dont think I could've asked for a better couple to shoot. Ashley and Ben met, fell in love, and then Ben, who is in the Air Force, was about to get deployed, so they got hitched. Such a classic romantic story. Seriously, makes my heart flutter a little. So this year, on their one year anniversary, they had the church ceremony and wedding celebration that they dreamed of having. It was such a fun wedding to get to be a part of. Ashley's friends are all the most entertaining funniest people ever, and her parent's, I've decided, are the sweetest people ever. So enough of me bragging about my clients- Here's just a few of my favorite photos.

the youngs

My sister made me look like the bad daughter. No, no, no. Not because she was mean or tried to make me look bad. But she is just all but perfect. She helps out more, shes friendlier, shes more generous, shes so much funnier, she got better grades, she got a normal college degree and followed my mom's footsteps as a teacher.. See? But I'm not done here. Along with helping me fund my trip to Africa last summer, she and her husband, Rob, have been letting me live in their guest room, rent free, for the past 5 months. I owed them big time, and we all knew it. And thus why I promised to do a photoshoot for them... In exchange for rent. Yeah, it totally sounds like a fair deal, right? Jess and Rob have the two most adorable sons ever in the history of the world. No, I am not exaggerating, nor am I biased.. Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me.

invisible children

It was about 4 years ago that I first heard about the longest running war in Africa. Four years later, and it is still the longest running war in Africa. I watched a documentary called Invisible Children: Rough Cut, and the children of northern Uganda, who were being abducted and forced to fight in a war that was not their own.. they stole my heart. There was never a point in time where I made a decision to put all of my time into their cause, it was just something I needed to do- to walk along side my brothers and sisters in northern Uganda who were being treated unjustly. I started a school club, which spread to the community I lived in. I told their story to anyone who would listen. The Invisible Children group that I started, and the core group of people that got involved became my precious little baby. But the problem, or so I thought, was that I was graduating and moving away, and there was no one quite worthy enough to carry on and take care of my little baby. And then I met Kathryn. Now, don't get me wrong, there were a lot of amazing, passionate people involved with the Invisible Children group in Richmond, but no one I quite trusted to leave everything I spent the past 4 years cultivating.. Anyway, I think you get the picture of how important this was to me. I met Kathryn just a few months before I was about to graduate and leave everything behind. I knew immediately that she was going to be the perfect person to take over for me, and my heart had this huge weight lifted off of it. Now fast forward just 2 months later, and I could not have imagined how good Kathryn was going to be at leading the Invisible Children club. Not only had she taken care of my precious little baby, but it had completely blossomed under her leadership. Kathryn and the rest of the leaders had somehow secured the band MAE, along with a bunch of other great bands, to put on a free benefit concert. So, needless to say, I got the first plane ticket I could, and flew back to Virginia to photograph the concert, and to be the proud mother hen that I felt like. Here's a few photos from this amazing event...

the osbornes

I met Greg and Stephanie at the design firm that I'm interning at. Greg and Stephanie lived in Uganda for a little while, and then moved back to the states where Greg volunteered his time working for free to design orphanages, hospitals, water systems and the likes for underserved countries.. But even when his time was up, he kept volunteering there.. even with a new baby to take care of. Talk about an amazing couple. They have their priorities straight, and are super fun and laid back and friendly. When Greg found out that I was a photographer, he asked if I'd be willing to do a photo shoot of him, Stephanie, and their new totally-adorable-full-of-smiles- baby, Dryden. Of Course. Who could say no to spending time with a cool couple and a cute baby? We had fun walking around after a fresh snow, and they were really great about being flexible and walking around outside in the cold for me. Here's a few of my favorites.